THE SCOTTISH VINTAGE BUS MUSEUM - SCS333 M
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DETAILS 1974 LEYLAND LEOPARD PSU3/3R / ALEXANDER Y TYPE B53F EX WESTERN AND NORTHERN SCOTTISH; LATTERLY OF SCARLET BAND MOTORS, COUNTY DURHAM. REGISTRATION NO. SCS333 M Right:
Scottish
Border, September
2006 (John Handley) CLICK
ON PHOTOS TO SEE LARGER IMAGE |
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SCS333M was supplied new to Western SMT in June 1974 as L2464 in their classic black and white coach livery as C49F. It was one of a batch of 41, SCS 327 - 367M, based initially at Ayr. These leopards operated long-distance services during the summer of 1974, including Glasgow/London, complementing the Bristol REMH vehicles. Left: Part of the batch when new (Gordon Stirling Collection) |
SCS333M was painted into red/cream during the spring of 1977, was sold to Northern Scottish in December 1983 and was painted into Northern yellow and cream livery at Nursery Avenue, Kilmarnock, prior to transfer. Based in Aberdeen, the bus was allocated fleet number NPE134. Another 16 Western leopards were acquired by Northern during this period.
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In 1989, SCS333M was sold to Scarlet Band Motor Services of West Carnforth, Co Durham. During the next ten years, 53 bus seats were fitted for school service contracts. Power steering was also installed, and a red, white and yellow livery applied. In August 1999, SCS333M was acquired for preservation. The owner is Gordon Stirling Right: In SBMS livery as it arrived at Lathalmond (Jim Crichton Collection) |
Jan /Feb 2002...
A set of 49 DP seats was fitted including seatbelts - the seats were acquired
from T type Leopards PRA110/2R. However, the seats originated from Western Scottish
T type Seddons of the DSD..V batch.
March 2002
Left: The proud owner in August 2002 - obviously recuperated (Gordon Stirling)
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April 2002 - January 2003
... Right: At this point a start was made on fitting new panels to both sides of the bus. I decided to fit new panels all round, and Raymond and John did a tremendous job with their usual attention to detail. The back end had obviously suffered accident damage during its service days, and the box frame had to be repaired and straightened. The owner sanded the roof and stripped paint for months, whilst making the tea for the craftsmen, and cleaned and polished miles of aluminium mouldings - not to mention fitting the seats which required major surgery prior to fitting. The difference in width between the Alexander T and Y types meant that an inch had to be shaved off the seat brackets to avoid compromising the gangway clearance. Photos: Gordon Stirling |
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April 2003
2005
SCS333 M was put up for sale and purchased by
an Australian, John Handley, who says: “On a working holiday in the UK in 1967 I
started with The Maidstone &
District Motor Services, firstly as a Conductor then as a Driver at
Gillingham and Chatham Depots. In 1968 I went to Edinburgh and worked for
Eastern Scottish as a Driver at New Street. In 1969 I moved to the West Coast
and drove for Western SMT, first at Kilmarnock and then transferred to the
Ardrossan Depot where my love affair with the Y Types started. In 2005 SCS 333M was advertised for sale, a
dream come true, the rest as they say is ………………..
Right: Lathalmond, March 2005 (Gordon Stirling)
2006
John takes up the story: From the 21st August we drove around
Scotland and for the next five weeks drove the Leopard down the West Coast of
Scotland and England, across the bottom and up the
East Coast back to Edinburgh, a total of 3066kms. It never missed a beat and
drew a lot of attention wherever we were.
Left: Lathalmond, August 2006 (John Handley)
We
left Edinburgh and travelled south via Galashiels, Hawick and Dumfries stopping
for lunch at a very picturesque village called Longtown just over the English
border then on to Carlisle where we stayed for two days. From Carlisle we
headed South through the English Lake District, Lancaster, Blackpool, Blackburn
and on to Preston.
While
in Preston we travelled down to Leyland and toured the British Commercial
Vehicle Museum.
Right: Leyland, August 2006 (John Handley)
From Oxford we travelled south onto the London ring road and then to Maidstone, from here we made day trips to Rochester, Strood, Chatham and to Gillingham where we visited the old Maidstone & District Depot where I worked in the late 60s, the Depot is now run by Arriva. A tour of the depot was pre arranged with the permission of the Depot Manager. We then drove through to Tunbridge Wells and parked in Arriva’s Depot in the middle of town, while sightseeing.
We then travelled down to
Above: Arriva’s Gillingham Depot, August 2006 (John Handley)
Having spent a week in
Maidstone and the surrounding towns we headed north on our way back up to
Scotland. On the way north we stopped at Duxford and spent a day at the
Imperial War Museum, where there was an Air Show on that weekend.
After leaving Duxford we
headed for Cambridge.
From Cambridge we travelled
to Nottingham via Huntingdon, Peterborough and Stamford. Our accommodation was
at a hotel in the middle of town, the Nottingham Council arranged for us to
park SCS 333m at the Nottingham City Transport Depot.
Above: Nottingham, September 2006 (John Handley)
On leaving York we headed to
Scarborough stopping at Castle Howard on the way. To get into the grounds of
Castle Howard you have to go through a gate which is part of the perimeter
wall, we had 2” to spare on each side.
From Scarborough we went through the Yorkshire Moors to Middlesborough and onto Durham where we stayed at the Honest Lawyer Hotel, there was a large parking area at the rear of the hotel so we took this opportunity to give the bus a well deserved wash.
Leaving Durham we travelled through Newcastle Upon Tyne and onto the Scottish Border then Jedburgh and to Edinburgh and continued up through Dunfermline and Kelty to the Scottish Bus Museum at Lathalmond.
Above:
Castle Howard, September 2006 (John Handley)
It was a sad day when we parked the bus in Shed 4 at Lathalmond for next 12 months and walked away.
Right: Lathalmond, September 2006 (John Handley)
